Nokere Koerse and Bredene Koksijde Classic are the Wolfpack’s next appointments on home soil.
The only team to have won Nokere Koerse four times this century, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl will be again in action this Wednesday not just in Italy, but also at the Belgian one-day race, whose focal point remains the Nokereberg. The short but demanding hill will feature several times on the course of the 75th edition (189.8km), and is also where the race will conclude, but until then the peloton is set to tackle several hurdles, in the form of Wolvenberg, Petegemberg, Tiegemberg or Lange Ast, to name just a few.
Just forty-eight hours later, Bredene Koksijde Classic (200.9km) awaits with a combination of cobbled hills – including a double ascent of the iconic Kemmelberg – pavé stretches and narrow roads. To add to these, strong winds could once again join the party, as was the case at the previous edition, and cause havoc in the peloton, changing the dynamic of the race and bringing more riders into contention.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl will rely in both races on a strong team comprising Iljo Keisse, Mauro Schmid – a top 10 finisher last month at the Tour of Oman – Stijn Steels, Jannik Steimle, Bert Van Lerberghe and neo-pro Ethan Vernon.
“We don’t have a designated leader for these races, but this doesn’t mean we won’t try to be in the thick of the action and get a nice result on a terrain that we like. Nokere should be full gas from the start, but especially on the local laps, where some riders will use the cobblestone in their attempt to split the field. If the wind will be just a bit strong, we could see even more action. In Bredene, the presence of the Kemmleberg will make it interesting for sure, and it remains to be seen how things will look after the second time up”, explained Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Rik Van Slycke.
Photo credit: ©Mark Van Hecke / Getty Images
Bert Van Lerberghe 
